Please note:
To view the Summer 2025 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2025/summer.html.
Art, Performance and Cinema Studies Major
Within the contemporary arts, there are lively debates about the meaning and significance of individual artworks, as well as their relationships to audiences and to other forms of culture. The program investigates art and culture with attention to the historically changing forms of class, gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality and aesthetics. It provides students with the knowledge, research and communication skills needed to participate effectively in contemporary debates about art and culture.
The program has two streams: art and performance studies and cinema studies. Students share several classes but also have the opportunity to pursue specialized courses related to their stream.
The program includes introductory studio courses from a multidisciplinary range of choices; these provide the experience of the creative process in dance, film, music and sound, theatre and performance, production and design, and visual art. The program is interdisciplinary, but also provides a knowledge of and sensitivity to the distinctive qualities of specific art forms. Course selection beyond the program’s core is flexible and students are encouraged to shape their studies in the school, or in the university at large.
Admission Requirements
Program and course admission is contingent upon university admission. Contact Student Services for admission procedures, requirements and deadlines. Contact the school’s office for information about the program or visit our .
About the School’s Course Offerings
Students are encouraged to take advantage of interdisciplinary offerings within the school. As many programs depend on a continuing sequence of courses completed in order, students should plan carefully to gain the maximum benefit and efficiency from their study. Note that not all courses are offered every term and several are offered on a rotational basis, i.e. every third or fourth term. An advisor is available to help plan study programs.
Students are reminded that the school is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts department, and are strongly advised to acquaint themselves with the many disciplinary courses that are available.
Program Requirements
Students complete 120 units, as specified below.
Lower Division Requirements for Both Streams
Students in both streams complete a total of 30 units including all of
An introduction to the experience and analysis of contemporary arts. A combination of seminar discussions, combined with field trips to galleries, cinemas, performance venues, and public art sites, will introduce APCS majors to the disciplinary resources, methods and skills that they will continue to develop over the course of their degree. Prerequisite: Open to art, performance and cinema studies majors.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Denise Oleksijczuk |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
A study of the visual arts from 1945 to the present, with attention to the artists, artworks, movements, and discourses that re-defined the functions and meanings of art. The debates of modernism, postmodernity, postcolonialism, feminism, and the avant-garde will be systematically explored. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for CA 168 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
Examines selected developments in cinema from 1945 to the present, with attention to various styles of artistic expression in film. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.
Introduces the many ways artists have employed moving images across artistic disciplines. By the completion of the course students should have a good sense of both the historical innovations and traditions in moving-image arts as well as the use of moving images in the contemporary art scene.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Laura Marks |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 5:30–7:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
|
E101 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E102 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 6:30–7:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E103 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 7:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E104 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 8:30–9:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E105 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E106 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E107 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E108 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 6:30–7:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
|
E109 |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 7:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Studies exemplary readings designed to introduce students to a wide range of theories and methods of visual analysis and historical interpretation of works of art. Prerequisite: CA 118. Students with credit for CA 210 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
An introduction to the techniques of artistic composition as experienced in a collaborative interdisciplinary studio environment. The emphasis is on the creation, analysis and critique of new compositions created in collaborative groups by students in dance, music, theatre, film/video and visual art. Prerequisite: One of CA 122, 130, 145, 150, 160, 170.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Robert Kitsos |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Art and Performance Studies Stream
Lower Division Requirements
In addition to the lower division courses required for both streams, students in the art and performance studies stream must complete
An introduction to the visual arts from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. Formal and thematic approaches to the arts will be introduced, with attention to the social, institutional, national, and international contexts of art. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for CA 167 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Traces the interdisciplinary origins of performance studies and brings its concepts and methods to bear on dance, music, theatre, performance art, and media performance. Students with credit for CA 311 or CA 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
and one of
Study of the development of modern dance and the reformation of the ballet from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on seminal dance artists and the impact their work has had upon the art form in western theatre dance. This course may be of particular interest to a range of students in departments across the university. Students with credit for CA 227 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Daisy Thompson |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Examines the early development of cinema from 1890 until about 1945, with particular emphasis on the fundamental principles of film as an art form. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Christopher Pavsek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 1:30–4:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Looks at the issues involved in being a creative musical artist in the 21st century. Topics include historical context, race and gender, the role and influence of politics, music and identity, appropriation, art music, functional music, and hybrid practices. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Arne Eigenfeldt |
Online |
Introduction to acoustics, psychoacoustics, sound synthesis, audio sampling and signal processing, and sound production in general as relating to music, film sound, radio, new media, art installations and live performance. Students with credit for CA 184 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Stefan Smulovitz |
Online |
Covers a specific topic within the field of cinema studies not covered in depth in other regularly scheduled courses. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA 237 may take this course for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: One of CA 135, 136, 137, or 186. Breadth-Humanities.
An introduction to aesthetic theory as it applies to dance. Lectures will address, among other things, the nature of aesthetic experience, as well as issues pertaining to critical judgment, communication, taste, and high and low art. Writing.
Surveys a range of historic and contemporary experimental moving-image works, with an emphasis on those that cross and transcend categories, create new forms and genres, reflect on the materiality of the medium, and express subjectivities in ways historically unseen in mainstream film. Prerequisite: One of CA 117, 118, 135, 136 or 137 or 30 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Nadia Shihab |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
The first of two courses in the Context cluster. With a grounding in performance studies, this course explores histories and theories of the avant-garde, live art, and theatre. With a rotating topic each term, students develop the foundational skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
and one of
A studio course devoted to the development of movement skills through specific styles of dance. The content of the course changes every term including techniques in Bhangra, Afro-Caribbian, Hip Hop and Contemporary. May repeat for credit. May be of particular interest to students in other departments.
An introduction to live theatre and performance making for non-theatre and performance majors. Individuals will be introduced to a variety of theatre and performance making methods that explore time, space, contemporary aesthetics and text.
A hands-on studio course modeled on the progressive development of artistic practice from simple mark-making to full scale installation. Through a process of continuous transformation, an original idea is developed in a sequence of methods, materials and scales. Some research is required. A course materials fee is required.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Elspeth Pratt |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
|
Claude Boisjoly |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Accurately scaled prototypes are a key visioning and communication tool in artistic production. Students apply basic geometry and measurement calculations to construct scale models, technical drawings, and to estimate material requirements. Assignments are based on real world problem solving within diverse artistic environments. The first of three courses in the Production Skills cluster.
Explore how objects transform in relationship to body, space, and story. Techniques may include: mask-making, costume, puppetry, and toy theatre. Students will engage design concepts through iteration, rapid prototyping, and project scaling, as well as individual and collaborative materials based performances. Students with credit for CA 174 may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
|
D101 |
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
D102 |
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Practical and theoretical study of music for gamelan ensemble, based on, but not limited to, traditional Javanese music. This course is designed as an introduction to the study of the music of non-Western cultures and as a method of developing ensemble musicianship. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: Prior approval.
Introduction to various software and hardware for digital image making and content editing. Creation of multi-media installations and performances using video projection. Cultivation of skill-sets to identify and visualize student ideas, such as visual research and proposal packages. Prerequisite: CA 185; or 30 units; or permission of instructor. Students with credit for CA 276 may not take this course for further credit.
Upper Division Requirements
Students are encouraged to plan in advance, as some upper division courses may not be offered each year. Students who wish to complete upper division courses must make sure they have the disciplinary prerequisites and should be aware that studio courses may have limited enrollments.
Students complete a minimum of 28 units from the list below, including all of
Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 45 units, including one of CA 210W, 216, 228W, 235, 236, 257W, 316, 318 or 344. Students with credit for CA 319 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Provides an in-depth investigation of a selected theoretical, historical or thematic topic in art and performance studies. This course requires independent research leading to a substantial paper, as well as directed reading preparation for seminars. Topics will vary from term to term. The course may be repeated four times for credit if the topic is different. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units; and one of CA 210W (or 210), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335), or 357W. Writing.
and one of
Investigates sound art as an interdisciplinary practice that draws its history and concepts from contemporary visual art, installation art, performance art, experimental music, and their various confluences. We will study historical precedents of experimental sound work as well as think critically and creatively about the themes and concerns that inform contemporary practices. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Remaining units can be drawn from the list below
Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 80 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect on their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. A written report is produced by the student at the conclusion of the practicum. This course cannot be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 units including CA 304 and permission of Internship Coordinator.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD |
A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.
Investigates sound art as an interdisciplinary practice that draws its history and concepts from contemporary visual art, installation art, performance art, experimental music, and their various confluences. We will study historical precedents of experimental sound work as well as think critically and creatively about the themes and concerns that inform contemporary practices. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines a range of historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to cinema and moving images in order to understand the development of film theory as a discipline. Through lectures, seminars and screenings, students will explore the ways in which cinema represents the world, impacts the psyche and the body, and functions politically and ideologically. Prerequisite: Six units from among CA 136, 137, 216, 236. Recommended: CA 210W (or 210).
The relationship of music and culture, with emphasis on traditional and contemporary music in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Indigenous cultures of North America. Specific cultural areas may be selected for intensive study in any particular term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
An in-depth investigation of selected social, political, philosophical, and theoretical issues associated with contemporary music and the sonic arts. Topics such as sound and technology, popular music and the mass media, or critical issues in non-western and Indigenous music might also be considered. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: CA 140 or permission of instructor.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
The second of two courses in the Context cluster. Work will include reading, writing and experiments in live performance creation. With a grounding in performance studies, this course offers a variety of frameworks and approaches to the histories and theories of the avant-garde. live art, and theatre. With a new topic each term, students develop skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Prerequisite: CA 257W. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
A specific topic in theatre not otherwise covered in-depth in regular courses. The work may be practical and/or theoretical. Prerequisite: CA 252 or permission of instructor.
Focus on skills and knowledge required to thrive as a creator/entrepreneur in contemporary society. Exploration of the life cycle of various creative enterprises and the development of a personal plan to realize the student's goals. Additional topics to include an introduction to strategic and financial planning, brand development, contracts and business culture. Prerequisite: 45 units.
This course examines the role of music in the viewer's experience of moving pictures. Beginning with the early 1900s, the lectures will introduce important composers, directors, films, genres and historical periods. Specific films and other works will be analyzed. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students who have taken this course previously as special topics may not take it again for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Arne Eigenfeldt |
Online |
A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated twice for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 30 units of CA courses.
This course is intended to provide opportunity for advanced students to carry out an independent project which is planned and completed in close consultation with the supervisory instructor. Before enrolment, the student must submit a written proposal outlining the project in detail to the chosen supervisor for approval. Directed studies courses may not be used as a substitute for existing courses. May repeat for credit. Variable units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Prerequisite: 60 units plus a minimum standing of completion of second year in any of the programs offered in the School for the Contemporary Arts, and prior approval.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD |
Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 120 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. This course can be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: 60 units including CA 304 and permission of Internship Coordinator.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD |
A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.
Intensive study and analysis of selected topics in film theory, history, criticism and aesthetics. Examples include: work of specific directors or periods; theories of narrativity; particular aspects of national cinemas, etc. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 60 units, including one of CA 216, 235, 236, 316 or 318.
A studio course focusing on creative collaborations between artists of different disciplines. The emphasis is on the creation, analysis and critique of new compositions created in collaboration between senior students in dance, film, music, theatre and visual art. Prerequisite: One CA studio course at the upper level, a CGPA of 3.0 and an overall average of 3.5 in CA courses.
This course permits students to explore the relationships among the arts by undertaking creative projects involving more than one art form. Students will work under the close supervision of one or more faculty and will be required to discuss their work on a regular basis with others involved in the course. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 CA units.
Other CA courses can be substituted for courses on this list with permission from area.
* may be repeated for credit if the topic changes
Cinema Studies Stream
Lower Division Requirements
In addition to the lower division courses required for both streams, students in the cinema studies stream must complete
Examines the early development of cinema from 1890 until about 1945, with particular emphasis on the fundamental principles of film as an art form. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Christopher Pavsek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 1:30–4:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
and one of
Covers a specific topic within the field of cinema studies not covered in depth in other regularly scheduled courses. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA 237 may take this course for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: One of CA 135, 136, 137, or 186. Breadth-Humanities.
Surveys a range of historic and contemporary experimental moving-image works, with an emphasis on those that cross and transcend categories, create new forms and genres, reflect on the materiality of the medium, and express subjectivities in ways historically unseen in mainstream film. Prerequisite: One of CA 117, 118, 135, 136 or 137 or 30 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Nadia Shihab |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Examines the achievements of dramatic, documentary and experimental filmmaking in Canada from the earliest days until the present. Special attention will be paid to the cinemas of Quebec and western Canada, and to the cultural, political and theoretical traditions that have shaped contemporary cinema in Canada. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 3 units in film or cinema studies (CA 135, 136, 186, 235, 216 (or 237), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335)) or 30 units. Breadth-Humanities.
and one of
An introduction to the visual arts from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. Formal and thematic approaches to the arts will be introduced, with attention to the social, institutional, national, and international contexts of art. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for CA 167 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Study of the development of modern dance and the reformation of the ballet from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on seminal dance artists and the impact their work has had upon the art form in western theatre dance. This course may be of particular interest to a range of students in departments across the university. Students with credit for CA 227 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Daisy Thompson |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Looks at the issues involved in being a creative musical artist in the 21st century. Topics include historical context, race and gender, the role and influence of politics, music and identity, appropriation, art music, functional music, and hybrid practices. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Arne Eigenfeldt |
Online |
Introduction to acoustics, psychoacoustics, sound synthesis, audio sampling and signal processing, and sound production in general as relating to music, film sound, radio, new media, art installations and live performance. Students with credit for CA 184 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Stefan Smulovitz |
Online |
Covers a specific topic within the field of cinema studies not covered in depth in other regularly scheduled courses. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA 237 may take this course for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: One of CA 135, 136, 137, or 186. Breadth-Humanities.
Traces the interdisciplinary origins of performance studies and brings its concepts and methods to bear on dance, music, theatre, performance art, and media performance. Students with credit for CA 311 or CA 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
An introduction to aesthetic theory as it applies to dance. Lectures will address, among other things, the nature of aesthetic experience, as well as issues pertaining to critical judgment, communication, taste, and high and low art. Writing.
Surveys a range of historic and contemporary experimental moving-image works, with an emphasis on those that cross and transcend categories, create new forms and genres, reflect on the materiality of the medium, and express subjectivities in ways historically unseen in mainstream film. Prerequisite: One of CA 117, 118, 135, 136 or 137 or 30 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Nadia Shihab |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Examines the achievements of dramatic, documentary and experimental filmmaking in Canada from the earliest days until the present. Special attention will be paid to the cinemas of Quebec and western Canada, and to the cultural, political and theoretical traditions that have shaped contemporary cinema in Canada. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 3 units in film or cinema studies (CA 135, 136, 186, 235, 216 (or 237), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335)) or 30 units. Breadth-Humanities.
The first of two courses in the Context cluster. With a grounding in performance studies, this course explores histories and theories of the avant-garde, live art, and theatre. With a rotating topic each term, students develop the foundational skills for analyzing, researching, and writing about contemporary performance. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
and one of
A studio course devoted to the development of movement skills through specific styles of dance. The content of the course changes every term including techniques in Bhangra, Afro-Caribbian, Hip Hop and Contemporary. May repeat for credit. May be of particular interest to students in other departments.
An introduction to live theatre and performance making for non-theatre and performance majors. Individuals will be introduced to a variety of theatre and performance making methods that explore time, space, contemporary aesthetics and text.
A hands-on studio course modeled on the progressive development of artistic practice from simple mark-making to full scale installation. Through a process of continuous transformation, an original idea is developed in a sequence of methods, materials and scales. Some research is required. A course materials fee is required.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Elspeth Pratt |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
|
Claude Boisjoly |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Accurately scaled prototypes are a key visioning and communication tool in artistic production. Students apply basic geometry and measurement calculations to construct scale models, technical drawings, and to estimate material requirements. Assignments are based on real world problem solving within diverse artistic environments. The first of three courses in the Production Skills cluster.
Explore how objects transform in relationship to body, space, and story. Techniques may include: mask-making, costume, puppetry, and toy theatre. Students will engage design concepts through iteration, rapid prototyping, and project scaling, as well as individual and collaborative materials based performances. Students with credit for CA 174 may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
|
D101 |
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
D102 |
Miwa Matreyek |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
GOLDCORP |
Practical and theoretical study of music for gamelan ensemble, based on, but not limited to, traditional Javanese music. This course is designed as an introduction to the study of the music of non-Western cultures and as a method of developing ensemble musicianship. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: Prior approval.
Introduction to various software and hardware for digital image making and content editing. Creation of multi-media installations and performances using video projection. Cultivation of skill-sets to identify and visualize student ideas, such as visual research and proposal packages. Prerequisite: CA 185; or 30 units; or permission of instructor. Students with credit for CA 276 may not take this course for further credit.
Upper Division Requirements
Students are encouraged to plan in advance, as some upper division courses may not be offered each year. Students who wish to complete upper division courses must make sure they have the disciplinary prerequisites and should be aware that studio courses may have limited enrollments.
Students complete a minimum of 28 units, including 11 or 12 units of
Examines a range of historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to cinema and moving images in order to understand the development of film theory as a discipline. Through lectures, seminars and screenings, students will explore the ways in which cinema represents the world, impacts the psyche and the body, and functions politically and ideologically. Prerequisite: Six units from among CA 136, 137, 216, 236. Recommended: CA 210W (or 210).
Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 45 units, including one of CA 210W, 216, 228W, 235, 236, 257W, 316, 318 or 344. Students with credit for CA 319 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Intensive study and analysis of selected topics in film theory, history, criticism and aesthetics. Examples include: work of specific directors or periods; theories of narrativity; particular aspects of national cinemas, etc. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 60 units, including one of CA 216, 235, 236, 316 or 318.
and one of
Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Investigates sound art as an interdisciplinary practice that draws its history and concepts from contemporary visual art, installation art, performance art, experimental music, and their various confluences. We will study historical precedents of experimental sound work as well as think critically and creatively about the themes and concerns that inform contemporary practices. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Provides an in-depth investigation of a selected theoretical, historical or thematic topic in art and performance studies. This course requires independent research leading to a substantial paper, as well as directed reading preparation for seminars. Topics will vary from term to term. The course may be repeated four times for credit if the topic is different. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units; and one of CA 210W (or 210), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335), or 357W. Writing.
Remaining units can be drawn from related courses including
Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 80 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect on their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. A written report is produced by the student at the conclusion of the practicum. This course cannot be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 units including CA 304 and permission of Internship Coordinator.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD |
A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.
Investigates a selected thematic topic in art and performance studies such as: postcolonial theory and the arts; perception and embodiment; art activism and resistance; or urban art and culture. This course can be repeated twice for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Investigates sound art as an interdisciplinary practice that draws its history and concepts from contemporary visual art, installation art, performance art, experimental music, and their various confluences. We will study historical precedents of experimental sound work as well as think critically and creatively about the themes and concerns that inform contemporary practices. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines a range of historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to cinema and moving images in order to understand the development of film theory as a discipline. Through lectures, seminars and screenings, students will explore the ways in which cinema represents the world, impacts the psyche and the body, and functions politically and ideologically. Prerequisite: Six units from among CA 136, 137, 216, 236. Recommended: CA 210W (or 210).
Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 45 units, including one of CA 210W, 216, 228W, 235, 236, 257W, 316, 318 or 344. Students with credit for CA 319 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Students will explore and apply a range of writing processes for film. Through writing, critique, and revision, students will create text(s) that can form the basis of a future film project. Prerequisite: 36 units in CA courses. Writing.
The relationship of music and culture, with emphasis on traditional and contemporary music in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Indigenous cultures of North America. Specific cultural areas may be selected for intensive study in any particular term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
An in-depth investigation of selected social, political, philosophical, and theoretical issues associated with contemporary music and the sonic arts. Topics such as sound and technology, popular music and the mass media, or critical issues in non-western and Indigenous music might also be considered. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: CA 140 or permission of instructor.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Eldritch Priest |
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Focus on skills and knowledge required to thrive as a creator/entrepreneur in contemporary society. Exploration of the life cycle of various creative enterprises and the development of a personal plan to realize the student's goals. Additional topics to include an introduction to strategic and financial planning, brand development, contracts and business culture. Prerequisite: 45 units.
This course examines the role of music in the viewer's experience of moving pictures. Beginning with the early 1900s, the lectures will introduce important composers, directors, films, genres and historical periods. Specific films and other works will be analyzed. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students who have taken this course previously as special topics may not take it again for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Arne Eigenfeldt |
Online |
A specific topic in the historical and contemporary arts which is not otherwise covered in depth in regular courses or which is not appropriately placed within a single arts discipline. The work will be practical, theoretical, or a combination of the two, depending on the particular topic in a given term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. May be repeated twice for credit when offered with different topics. Prerequisite: 30 units of CA courses.
This course is intended to provide opportunity for advanced students to carry out an independent project which is planned and completed in close consultation with the supervisory instructor. Before enrolment, the student must submit a written proposal outlining the project in detail to the chosen supervisor for approval. Directed studies courses may not be used as a substitute for existing courses. May repeat for credit. Variable units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Prerequisite: 60 units plus a minimum standing of completion of second year in any of the programs offered in the School for the Contemporary Arts, and prior approval.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD | |||
TBD |
Intended for advanced students to gain hands-on learning experience with an arts organization. This can include artist run centres, film festivals, media arts or performance venues, galleries, museums, and arts publications. The student's time in the practicum should total 120 hours, to be carried out over the course of a term. Students are also required to reflect their learning through participation in a Canvas course. Practicums can involve research, writing, organizing events, curating exhibitions and programs, studio apprenticeships, public relations, media production, archiving, and related activities. This course can be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: 60 units including CA 304 and permission of Internship Coordinator.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Kay Higgins |
TBD | ||
Kay Higgins |
TBD |
A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.
Provides an in-depth investigation of a selected theoretical, historical or thematic topic in art and performance studies. This course requires independent research leading to a substantial paper, as well as directed reading preparation for seminars. Topics will vary from term to term. The course may be repeated four times for credit if the topic is different. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units; and one of CA 210W (or 210), 316 (or 337), 318 (or 335), or 357W. Writing.
Intensive study and analysis of selected topics in film theory, history, criticism and aesthetics. Examples include: work of specific directors or periods; theories of narrativity; particular aspects of national cinemas, etc. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: 60 units, including one of CA 216, 235, 236, 316 or 318.
A studio course focusing on creative collaborations between artists of different disciplines. The emphasis is on the creation, analysis and critique of new compositions created in collaboration between senior students in dance, film, music, theatre and visual art. Prerequisite: One CA studio course at the upper level, a CGPA of 3.0 and an overall average of 3.5 in CA courses.
This course permits students to explore the relationships among the arts by undertaking creative projects involving more than one art form. Students will work under the close supervision of one or more faculty and will be required to discuss their work on a regular basis with others involved in the course. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 45 CA units.
* may be repeated for credit if the topic changes
Academic Continuance Policy
Policy:
All students who successfully complete the acceptance process within the School for the Contemporary Arts are offered the status of “major” in a specific area of study entering the first year. In order to remain a major, all students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.67 in CA courses. Students who fall below the 2.67 will have a limited time (see process below) to raise their average before losing their status as a major.
Process:
All SCA student GPA levels will be evaluated at the end of each academic year, normally at the end of the spring term. A student who falls below the required cumulative GPA in CA courses of 2.67 will be notified of their probation status as a major with a limited time to adjust their CA GPA. Students will need to meet with the area coordinator and advisor and plan their academic career for either re-establishing the major or pursuing an FCAT BA with a double minor program. If the student does not bring the cumulative GPA in CA courses to 2.67 in the allotted time, they will be dropped from the major. If the student is in first or second year of study within the major and falls below the required cumulative GPA in CA courses of 2.67, the student will have two terms to bring up their average to 2.67. If the student is in third year of their major, they will have one term to bring their average to 2.67. Students who lose their status as a major in the SCA will have the option of pursuing the extended minor as part of the double minor BA option in FCAT, or via other options in the university. In extraordinary circumstances, the area coordinator and director of the school will review academic continuance policy cases.
Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements
Students admitted to ÓÈÎïÊÓÆµ beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.
WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit
Requirement |
Units |
Notes | |
W - Writing |
6 |
Must include at least one upper division course, taken at ÓÈÎïÊÓÆµ within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each) |
|
Q - Quantitative |
6 |
Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more) | |
B - Breadth |
18 |
Designated Breadth |
Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division: Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc |
6 |
Additional Breadth |
Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas. |
Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit
- At least half of the program's total units must be earned through ÓÈÎïÊÓÆµ study.
- At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through ÓÈÎïÊÓÆµ study.
Elective Courses
In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.